Introduction

At the core of our teachings is one of our foundational principles: “getting their brain on your side.”

This philosophy drives much of what we do to help our students succeed in todays ruthless job market. It’s all about understanding how people make decisions and using that knowledge to your advantage.

Or in other words: The real game isn’t just about having the right skills; it’s about knowing how to make people think you are the right choice.

Today, we’re giving you a sneak peek into some of the techniques and strategies we teach in our private Courses, Events, and mentorship programs.

Since this is a public platform, we can only cover a limited portion of our curriculum here. Yet it should be enough to provide a glimpse into how our students sharpen their career skills, get jobs well above their paygrade and break the norms of the corporate world.

TL;DR Key Principles

  • Hiring, promotion, and investment decisions are always made by humans.
  • Human brains are inherently flawed, prone to biases and errors.
  • These flaws are often amplified by cultural norms, misconceptions, and misinformation.
  • By understanding how humans make decisions about “human resources” and learning how to influence them, you can gain a significant edge in your career.
  • There are multiple “vectors” of attack you can use to get someone’s brain on your side.
  • Much of this knowledge is public, but the most powerful techniques remain closely guarded secrets.

In this context, we are now going to give you an introduction to a few ethical influence techniques to improve your job search. Enter Behavioral Economics…

Behavioral Economics

Behavioral economics is “the study of the psychological, cognitive, emotional, cultural, and social factors involved in the decisions of individuals or institutions” (source: Wikipedia).

You see it at work everywhere – whether or not you realize it.

Think about supermarkets strategically placing expensive items at eye level to manipulate purchasing decisions. Or think of apps leveraging notifications to leverage your fear of missing out. Companies like Amazon and Netflix use behavioral economics to influence what you buy or watch by suggesting products based on your past behavior. (And we love them for it.)

In the context of your job search, understanding these same principles can give you an outsized edge. (We could tell you hours and hours of stories about incompetent executives who started from nothing, and rose to the pinnacle of their profession – purely based on these principles.)

By learning how to influence the minds of other humans, especially executives and hiring managers, you can apply these insights ethically to shift decisions in your favor – helping you “get their brain on your side”.

OK. Time to cover some core principles…

Bounded Rationality

Bounded rationality refers to the idea that while people aim to make rational decisions, their ability to do so is limited by factors like information overload, cognitive biases, time constraints, and emotional influences.

In short, no one has perfect knowledge or endless mental energy to weigh all options, so they often settle for “good enough” decisions rather than optimal ones.

In the context of your job search, hiring managers are operating under bounded rationality as well – perhaps to an extreme degree, considering the mere seconds of attention they give candidates.

This means, hiring managers are unlikely to fully research every candidate or explore every potential hire due to time pressures, biases, or incomplete information. This creates an opportunity for you to guide their decisions.

How to Leverage Bounded Rationality: Since decision-makers won’t always take the time to dig deep, you can shape how they perceive you by controlling what they see with the time they have paying attention to you, especially what they see first. Putting together a targeted and personalized resume, if it has the required credibility markers, will immediately position you for a shortlist.

For example, if you’re applying for a data analyst role, rather than listing every project you’ve worked on, highlight two or three that had the biggest impact, using numbers, results and Language of Value phrases to capture attention. The goal is to cut through the noise and make their decision to hire you seem like the obvious choice.

Prospect Theory

Prospect theory explains how people make decisions based on perceived gains and losses, rather than actual outcomes. It highlights that humans are naturally more sensitive to potential losses than to equivalent gains – a phenomenon known as loss aversion.

In other words, the pain of losing something is more intense than the pleasure of gaining the same thing.

When it comes to your job search, you can leverage prospect theory by framing your value in a way that taps into a hiring manager’s fear of missing out. Rather than just emphasizing what they will gain by hiring you, show them what they risk losing if they don’t.

How to Leverage Prospect Theory: In your interviews or applications, frame your skills and experience as something the employer can’t afford to miss. Instead of focusing solely on how you can contribute to the company’s success, point out the potential challenges they may face if they choose someone less qualified (be subtle, do this tactfully).

Your goal is to position yourself as the solution to their problems and imply that not hiring you would be a costly mistake.

For example, if you’re applying for a cybersecurity role, you might say, “With data breaches becoming more frequent, I’ve seen firsthand how having the right risk management in place can make all the difference. It’s not just about preventing issues, but making sure the company is in a strong position to avoid any unnecessary exposure.” This makes your value seem indispensable, appealing to their innate loss aversion.

(Pro tip: When using prospect theory – do NOT spell out the implications for them, instead insinuate. In the example above, on the surface you are saying “look I’ve got great experience, and I know how bad it can get” while encouraging them to think of negative outcomes. Beneath the surface, however, you are saying: “Without hiring me you’ll likely get pwned and lose those millions.” Only idiots say that underneath the surface part out loud, instead of insinuating it.)

Nudge Theory

This is a good place to get into nudge theory…

Nudge theory is the concept that subtle cues or indirect suggestions can influence people’s behavior and decision-making without force or heavy persuasion…

In fact, in persuasion – subtle works much better than overt action or coercion…

Rather than pushing someone toward a decision, you “nudge” them in the desired direction by making that choice feel natural or easy.

In a job search, nudge theory can be used to guide hiring managers or recruiters toward seeing you as the best candidate – without making it seem like you’re trying too hard.

The core idea is to present yourself in a way that naturally steers their attention and decisions in your favor.

How to Leverage Nudge Theory: Make it easy for them to view you as the ideal fit. You do this by subtly highlighting your strengths in a way that aligns with the employer’s priorities. For example, if the role emphasizes collaboration, casually mention your role in successful team projects during your interview as well as cover letter. Instead of outright stating you’re a team player, share a story that illustrates your ability to work well with others in an unrelated context, or make sure they see evidence of you working in a team.

Using nudge theory, you are always thinking one step ahead of your target. Guide their perception without being overt, making it easier for them to connect the dots and see you as the ideal candidate.

Choice Overload

Choice overload happens when too many options overwhelm people, leading to decision paralysis or poor choices.

This is because, when faced with an abundance of choices, humans often freeze, procrastinate, or make suboptimal decisions.

In a job search, choice overload can hit hard. With hundreds of job postings, industries, and career paths available, it’s easy to become paralyzed, unsure of where to apply or what’s worth pursuing. The result? You waste time, spread yourself too thin, or make rushed decisions.

Worse case scenario: your job search devolves into “applying to anything that moves”, leading to poor or incomplete applications that go nowhere.

How to Leverage Choice Overload: Turn this bias to your advantage by narrowing down your choices early. Set specific criteria for what you’re looking for in a role (salary, company size, location, industry) and focus your efforts only on those jobs that meet your goals.

For example, instead of applying to every job you come across, create a shortlist of companies you admire or industries you excel in. Apply to your targets with laser focus, ideally using the warm application process.

Search Heuristics

Search heuristics are mental shortcuts that simplify decision-making, especially in complex situations. They influence how hiring managers evaluate candidates. Understanding which heuristic is guiding the mind of your target employers can help you adjust your approach, and take advantage of their natural tendencies.

Satisficing

Satisficing is when decision-makers accept the first solution that meets their criteria rather than seeking the absolute best option. Hiring managers often use this when under pressure to fill a role quickly. In such an environment (think a promotion choice with a fast approaching deadline) speed becomes paramount.

How to Leverage It: Clearly showcase how you meet the essential requirements right away. Focus specifically on the skills they are asking for. If you make it easy for them to see that you meet their minimum standards, you’re more likely to get noticed.

Directed Cognition

Directed cognition occurs when decision-makers focus on information that aligns with their specific goals or preferences. In the context of a job search, this means: hiring managers look for candidates who fit their company culture or values, and in a large number of cases, their personal career agenda.

How to Leverage It: Research the company’s mission and values, as well as the hiring manager (on social media). Then, target your application to reflect your findings. Use language and examples that resonate with their goals. For instance, if you know they value teamwork, include specific examples that demonstrate teamwork, use the word teamwork, make sure you have pictures on your personal brand of you with your teams, etc. This directs their attention toward how you align with what they’re looking for.

Elimination by Aspects

Elimination by aspects is a filtering strategy where decision-makers discard options that don’t meet certain criteria. If a candidate lacks a critical skill or experience, they may be eliminated from consideration. (Pro tip: Recruiters and HR almost always start with this heuristic. And hiring managers working with this heuristic make it painfully obvious by repeating themselves and obsessing over certain skills or qualifications.)

How to Leverage It: Identify the key criteria they obsess over, and make sure you clearly demonstrate that you meet them. If you know a specific certification is essential, highlight it prominently – sometimes literally with a colored highlight on your resume. You can also anticipate common deal-breakers and address them proactively in your application, especially in your cover letter. This way, you reduce the chances of being dismissed based on missing aspects.

Relevant Cognitive Biases

Now we are veering out of the realm of behavioral economics and getting deeper into psychology… but… while we’re at it, let’s cover a few other basics…

Leveraging some key cognitive biases can help you influence hiring managers and enhance your job search. Here are a few short techniques:

  • Anchoring: In salary discussions, mention your previous salary or industry standards (whichever is higher) to set an anchor that benefits you.
  • Framing Effects: Present your experiences in a way that highlights the positive impact, even if that means framing challenges and shortcomings as opportunities you successfully managed. (In other words: learn to spin!)
  • Present Bias: Emphasize immediate benefits to the employer in your pitch, such as how your skills can quickly solve pressing issues. (This is a fantastic technique for sales professionals.)
  • Gambler’s Fallacy: Present your candidacy as the timely opportunity the employer has been waiting for. (This can be easily done by talking about how lucky it is that you heard about them, or how you accidentally got referred, etc. You want to imply that “with you, luck is on their side”.)
  • Hot Hand Fallacy: Leverage recent wins by highlighting them in your conversations and making it painfully clear that you’re on a winning streak – implying that your success is ongoing and will benefit their team.
  • Narrative Fallacy: Create a compelling career narrative that aligns your experiences with the company’s needs, making it easy for employers to see you as the ideal candidate. (This is by far the most powerful technique since human beings naturally think in stories, and a good career narrative will thoroughly guide the audience.)
  • Familiarity Bias: Mention connections to mutual contacts, well-known brands or institutions in your past to make yourself seem more credible and familiar.
  • Status Quo Bias: Emphasize how your skills will seamlessly enhance the current team and fit right in with their plans. You’re not rocking the boat, you’re making it faster.

OK. Enough…

We can go on for hours, but you get the point.

What you do on the surface is irrelevant. Why you do it, and what mental principle you leverage is where the game is played.

Conclusion

Understanding and leveraging behavioral economics can give you a significant edge in your job search.

By significant, we mean an order of magnitude. It’s the difference between a 50k and a 500k annual salary.

By recognizing how hiring managers think and make decisions, you can strategize. Adjust your approach to influence their perceptions. Pick and choose your opportunities. And go where growth – real growth – is happening.

Remember, the goal is to position yourself not just as another candidate, but as the ideal solution to their needs. And as you get good at doing that, you’ll be able to work with the needs of individuals and organizations who move the world.

Steer conversations, shape perceptions, and ultimately – secure the opportunities you deserve.

The world is brimming with opportunity…